Best non-iPod MP3 players?
Shane writes “I am looking for a high capacity MP3 player and the commercial reviewers all recommend either the Apple iPod or the Toshiba Gigabeat. Both have DRM and usability issues I don’t want. I want an MP3 player that allows me the freedom to use my music as I want without having to convert formats or limit me to only playing my music on one device. I curently have a NetMD player which works wonderfully but it is getting more and more difficult to efficiently copy podcasts and non standard albums (like santastic) to mini disc without burning real or virtual CDs.” My picks are: The PEZ MP3 player, the Linux based Archos PMA 400 (I also use the iPod 5G, just don’t do DRM, it’s possible). Post your suggestions in the comments!
Merleon makes wonderful music with Electroplankton with the Nintendo DS – “In 2002 I moved to Japan and I began experimenting with music again but this time with the aide of a good computer and music editing software. I still felt uninspired and as a result produced very little in the way of music. Earlier this year, when I found out about Electroplankton, I was suddenly motivated to create a new type of music that I had never before attempted. When I finally had the chance to experience Electroplankton I instantly knew what my next project would be.” 
Thomas Wilburn has a lot of great info on making music with one of my favorite “games” for the Nintendo DS he writes – “Composing with Electroplankton, part one: I started a one-man rock band for four reasons. I find the idea of one person onstage creating a lot of great noise on the fly to be very personally appealing. It has a kind of bizarre audacity…” tons of great tips and more – [
Great video from Coolhunting! “Nullsleep makes music on Gameboys. Exclusively. And it’s really good. He performed recently at Monkeytown in Brooklyn, NY and the m ss ng p eces was there to capture it for CH Video. His interview, and excerpts from his performance, comprise the first in our series ‘8-bit’ which is about making music on low-fi gadgets.” [
Papydom writes “I love my Sony DSC 7 camera. It is really thin, and I can finally go to a wedding or a family party with a camera in my pocket and still have a straight jacket. The point is that it is so thin you cannot screw a regular tripod in it. You have to use an adapter that looks like a big socket for the camera, and accepts a regular tripod screw. This adapter is not heavy, but it is too big for my pockets. So I decided to build my own accessory. I call it the “L”-pod, because this is its shape when in use, as you can see in the last pictures.” 
Refik writes – “Here’s a DIY project that shows you how to connect a LCD display to your electronic device, in this case a microcontroller was used!”